PLANNED PARENTHOOD
414 UNION ST.
SCHENECTADY, NY 12305-1199
518-374-5353

TAPE – 087

(Dialing, phone ringing)

RECORDING: Thank you for calling Planned Parenthood in Schenectady. If you know the extension of the person you are calling, you may dial it at any time. To access our company directory, press the # key. To make an appointment, press 1. If you feel this is a medical emergency —

One moment please.

CLINIC: Appointments. Can I help you?

CALLER: Yeah. I was actually wondering, do you guys do abortions there?

CLINIC: Yes, we do. I want you to speak with a counselor, okay?

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: Hang on.

(Phone ringing)

CLINIC: Hi. This is a counselor. How can I help you?

CALLER: Yeah. Well, I was wondering if you guys do abortions there?

CLINIC: Yes, we do.

CALLER: Do you know how much it cost?

CLINIC: Are you pregnant?

CALLER: Well, I think so.

CLINIC: Okay. Are you interested in having a termination?

CALLER: Well, yeah. Me and my boyfriend were talking about it, and we think that’s the best to do.

CLINIC: Okay. The first thing you need to do is you need to make sure you’re pregnant. So you need to have a pregnancy test.

CALLER: Okay. Is there like an age requirement for that?

CLINIC: No. How old are you?

CALLER: I’ll be 14 in March.

CLINIC: Okay. I suggest you take a pregnancy test. And then if that comes out positive, then call us. Because you don’t get all upset for nothing if you’re not pregnant.

CALLER: Well, I actually did. I took one over the weekend.

CLINIC: And was it positive?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Okay. So then, yes, you are pregnant.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: You can’t think you’re pregnant. You are pregnant.

What needs to happen is you need to come in for a pre-op exam. You’d have an ultra sound done to determine exactly how far along you are. You’d have a pelvic exam done to make sure medically everything is okay. And you meet with a counselor who’d go over the procedure with you step by step and who would schedule you for a surgery.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Now, since you are 14, you are eligible for PCAP, which is temporary Medicaid.

CALLER: Well, my boyfriend’s going to pay for it. He’s 22. He can take care of everything.

CLINIC: Okay. Well, you automatically qualify for temporary Medicaid.

CALLER: Well, would they have to tell anybody about it if I was on that?

CLINIC: The only thing is, I cannot guarantee your confidentiality a hundred percent, because we do have to use your mailing address.

CALLER: Well then, I wouldn’t be able to do that at all. My parents can’t find out at all.

CLINIC: Okay. I can’t guarantee your confidentiality a hundred percent when it comes to temporary Medicaid. The only way to guarantee your confidentiality is to pay cash.

CALLER: Well, okay. My boyfriend said he would do that.

CLINIC: Okay. The pre-op exam is around 150, and the surgery is like 380 and up.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: It’s due then too.

CALLER: Oh, all right.

CLINIC: So do you want to make an appointment for a pre-op exam?

CALLER: Well, I’d have to talk to my boyfriend and see when he can get off work.

CLINIC: Okay. Just call us back.

CALLER: Is there any way — say that I did the pregnancy test wrong or whatever, do you guys do birth control?

CLINIC: Yep, we sure do.

CALLER: And you wouldn’t have to tell anybody about that either?

CLINIC: Right, you got it. Do you want to make an appointment? We have one for Monday — because our first appointment is not until Monday, March 4th. We have a 5:00 or a 5:30.

CALLER: Well, I would have to talk to my boyfriend and see when he can get off work. My last period was actually like the first week in December. Do you know like —

CLINIC: Going by December 1st —

CALLER: Do you know how much that would cost or anything?

CLINIC: Well, going by December 1st, you are — you’re 10-plus weeks. You really need to get in here.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: You can’t wait. That’s the only thing.

CALLER: And you guys wouldn’t tell anybody at all?

CLINIC: No. Everything’s strictly confidential.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And to let you know, your partner’s not allowed in the room or anything.

CALLER: Oh, but is it all right if he came — can he bring me?

CLINIC: He can bring you, yep.

CALLER: And nobody’s going to tell on him or anything?

CLINIC: Tell on him?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Why, because of his age?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: I mean, if you don’t tell anybody how old he is. I can’t guarantee you that. If someone feels that he is endangering the welfare of a minor, which you are — you are a minor — that’s something different.

CALLER: Would he get in trouble or anything?

CLINIC: Well, I can’t really go into that. I don’t know. Number one, he is a lot older than you. Correct? Do your parents know?

CALLER: Well, they know him. They just don’t like him because they think he’s too old. You don’t think he’s too old, do you?

CLINIC: Well, I can’t go into that.

CALLER: Oh, all right.

CLINIC: I mean, you are a minor; he is of age.

CALLER: If I don’t tell anybody there, they won’t do anything?

CLINIC: Well, I mean, they shouldn’t anyway. The first thing you need to get rid of — you need to have a termination if that’s what you want. And you need to worry about that. You can’t worry about if someone’s going to get in trouble or not. You need to take care of this problem.

CALLER: Is it all right if I talk to him, and then call you back?

CLINIC: That’s fine.

CALLER: What is your name?

CLINIC: Well, I might not be available to talk to you. You’d speak to a counselor. And then tell them you need to make an appointment for a pre-op exam.

CALLER: Is it okay if I talk to you? I just don’t want to talk to anybody else.

CLINIC: Okay. But I can’t guarantee you for the appointment that you’ll be able to see me.

CALLER: Well, can I talk to you later today after I talk to him?

CLINIC: That’s fine. Just push 145 and ask to speak to me. My name’s Tricia (sp).

CALLER: Tricia?

CLINIC: The only thing is, like I said, our first appointment is March. So you want to get back to me as soon as you can because we want to get you in as soon as we can.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: Okay? And think about temporary Medicaid because it will pay for it. But the only thing is, like I said, we have to use your mailing address, well, your permanent residency where you live. We can use a different mailing address.

CALLER: I wouldn’t be able to tell you that. I can’t let anyone know.

CLINIC: How come?

CALLER: Well, I just don’t want to get in trouble. My parents, if they found out that me and my boyfriend were having sex, they would freak.

CLINIC: Right, okay. And then that’s fine. Everything here is strictly confidential. We’re not going to give out any information to anybody.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: That’s why we don’t even have your partner come in the rooms and stuff, because there are some things that they might not know. And we want to make sure that this is what you want to do. Do you know what I mean?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: And also, going on temporary Medicaid, you will qualify because you’re under 18.

CALLER: Even if he’s going to pay for everything?

CLINIC: Well, it’s up to you if you want him to pay for everything. I had to let you know that that is an option. It would cover it, and you wouldn’t have to pay a thing. But if you’re scared, then that’s fine. He can pay for it. But just to let you know, when you come in here to fill out paperwork, you have to use your real name and your real address.

CALLER: Is it okay to use his address?

CLINIC: No. You really need your own in case there’s an emergency and we need to get in contact with you. You have to use your real information. Everything is strictly confidential.

CALLER: What kind of emergency?

CLINIC: I don’t know. I’m just using that for an example. Like say you fall down and break your leg. Your boyfriend’s not going to be able to take you to the hospital and sign papers. The only person that’s going to be able to do that is a parent. You know what I mean? Stuff like that. So we have to have your real name and stuff like that. And like I said, everything is confidential.

CALLER: Okay. So I’ll call you back. Is that all right?

CLINIC: That’s fine.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: What was your name?

CALLER: I’m Christine.

CLINIC: Is that you real name?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Okay, Christine.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: Bye.

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